Snob Diaries: Daytona Bike Week with Mike Seegars
Snob Diaries is a personal recap of seasonal fashion and cultural events around the world, told through the lens of our staff and close friends. For Daytona Bike Week, Highsnob's own Mike Seegars takes us through his week in Florida with Alpinestars.
We were back at it with Alpinestars, this time visiting Daytona for Bike Week.
This weekend, Alpinestars' focus was their new Tech-Air 3 vest, in canvas and leather; I personally went for the canvas. Whether we like it or not, bikers are notoriously obsessed with their appearance, and it often comes at the cost of safety. This release from Alpinestars bridges the gap between safety and a more casual aesthetic.
On our first day, we took a quick ride south to Cocoa Beach for an early morning ride along the Atlantic coast.
After the beach, we raced back to Daytona to catch the qualifying round of the Bagger series. These massive cruiser-style bikes with side compartments can reach speeds of nearly 200mph on the track's straights.
I walked around the paddock and found a small company based in Orlando that repairs the suits for the racers on the spot, even after a fresh crash. They had the most interesting leather collection I've seen, but the best part was they made alterations and repairs as a family.
The best thing I found around the race area was the wide range of suits used by the racers. It is absolutely unbelievable that these keep them safe at over 180mph.
And finally, it wouldn't be a proper race weekend without sharing some of the coolest bikes we saw.